Forty minutes of pure enjoyment… listening to quick-witted knowledgeable music gurus – with a helluva lot of giggling – David Hepworth and Mark Ellen and Neil Storey talking about Volume 3 of The Island Book of Records.
You would recognise Hepworth and Ellen from when they were presenting The Old Grey Whistle as well as launching Q magazine... and now they have their own channel called Word in Your Ear where they interview many, many, many, pro musicians and music royalty. Some great stories come out of their conversations. Very funny at times.
So the video…. they talk about why Island Records was so important, why Chris Blackwell’s reaction to Roxy Music was noted as being Sphinx-like, the story behind getting Traffic into London cafe for a photoshoot…. obviously they chat about Nick Drake , and Neil’s connection of living in the same village at the same time… plus all the information your didn’t know about Bronco, Mike Hariison, John Martyn, Ian Anderson, Renaissance… and the unknown importance of a drum roll in the Wombles.
Have a look at their Word In Your Ear website for other wonderful videos and mnay more entertaining conversations about the music industry
Meanwhile, here’s their information about the video….
Roxy, Traffic, Nick Drake, Mott the Hoople & the magic of Island Records
“The third instalment of ‘The Island Book of Records’ is out, another sumptuous, elegantly designed, LP-sized chronicle of every album released on this most fabled of labels, in this case between 1971-72. They’re edited by Neil Storey who worked in the press office for years, and they’re magnificent, a painstaking assembly of the memories of producers, musicians and label staff involved in those records with photo outtakes, press cuttings and concert bills to illustrate. We talked to Neil in Jamaica, on his way to present Chris Blackwell with a copy, and touched on the following … …
- why anything on Island still quickens the pulse …
- how Blackwell understood “the packaged goods business” and only signed Roxy when he saw the shot they wanted on their first album cover …
- Jess Roden, John Martyn, Tír na nÓg, John Wood, Jethro Tull, Hackensack and the record everyone forgot … ‘
- the deification of Nick Drake is not a good thing” …
- the misfortunes that derailed Bronco …
- the ‘Renaissance’ look of Amazing Blondel and the member permanently dressed as an Elizabethan …
- “Bless The Weather was the first John Martyn record where he didn’t want to be somebody else” ….
- Spooky Tooth – “grunge before grunge was invented” … and the Island albums that should have sold more.
